Inultus

I know that a lot of you despise the All-Star Game and the SuperSkills competition. The only thing I've really liked about the All-Star Game was having players mic'ed up while they were playing on the ice, and having them actually talk with the commentators. That was awesome. This year, I'm looking forward to the SuperSkills competition because seriously how can you not want to see who is the fastest skater or who has the hardest shot or who can come out with the most outrageous breakaway goal? If you really don't care about any of that stuff then I'd have to say that you are not a hockey fan at heart. That stuff is just plain fun to watch. Feel free to disagree. ps, I do wish the league would do a better job promoting this stuff, it's ridiculous that I have to click on two different pages to find out when the SuperSkills comp. is, the main NHL page should talk all about it.

Though I agree they don't do it often enough, here is the kind of mic'ing I mean: name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>&"> name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350" />

A pretty fair assessment I think. One could make a case for Hossa, Zetterberg or Babcock being mentioned here, but overall I think it's a pretty good article. http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=403751&...vid=DL|NHL|home

I look at the standings and I see the Wings 2nd in the western conference, only behind by 2 points. That's allright with me. Granted Boston is 1st overall, but they are playing in a weaker conference. I mean, yeah Malkin is racking up the points in Pittsburgh, but would he have that many if he played in the Western conference more often? I doubt it. I'm happy with where the Wings are. I just wish Osgood would get his best game back, hopefully he will before playoffs.

I'm pretty sure Mickey Redmond had a sweet one back in the day.

I ordered a hat online from the goalie's den and it was a great deal, good product. Never been there, but they seemed to have great customer service online.

Dallas, that is an awesome story, I'm even convinced you were drunk when you wrote it, lol. And HL, seriously where is this hotel? That's an amazing pile of glasses, but we might be able to match it.

Exactly, so if he actually bit it hard enough that it bled (which is what an eye-witness said) then I bet it hurt like a beyotch.

Shoot, you wanna talk about wasted... First they let me drink out of the fifth at the bar... Then there is the night we decided I should finish off the cuervo... Then of course there is drinking a fifth of Maker's while camping... My buddy Marc (the one who enabled me at the previously shown bar) looked even funnier. Halloween fun... And finally, going to see the Wings play...

Well if you believe the poster in the link above, his thumb was bleeding. I've crushed my thumb with a hammer and it still didn't bleed (although it hurt like and SOB), so if it was bleeding I suspect it hurt pretty badly.

Hell yeah, IPAs are my favorite as well and I had Hopslam at a beer tasting before it was even on the market. It was my favorite IPA from the first time I tasted it and that's saying a lot because I've had a lot of great IPAs including Double Crooked Tree, Short's Huma-Lupa Licious, Breckenridge's 471, Stone IPA, Founder's Devil Dancer and Bell's Two Hearted Ale.

Yeah, I squirted my buddy in the eyebulb with some Propel. The person below me better be ready for a big surprise!

Barleywines are so good! I had the one from Three Floyds and it rocked. Fun facts I was just checking out. Here's the 2008 list of the top 100 beers in the world. Michigan had the third most beers on the list (10), behind California (26) and Belgium (15). That's amazing to me. And 5 of those ten beers were from Bell's brewery. I need to go to that place more often! 5 of the top 100 beers in the world come from a brewery and hour away from me!

Get him some Killian's, LOL! Anyway, Smithwick's is the closest thing you can get and hell, it's brewed in Ontario, Canada anyway, so close enough to Michigan, eh? If you want a real Irish Red, try O'Haras Red.

George Gaborik definitely my favorite. Gotta love the porn stache.

I thought since someone put up a thread about online streams, we could use a thread about channel lineups in various areas. I am in Lansing, Michigan and I have Comcast. I will list the channels games are shown on, in order of which ones show the most. 33, FSN-Detroit 30, Versus 4, NBC 781, NHL InDemand (tonight's game is on this channel) Also available in my area are Dish Network and Direct TV. I am not familiar with their channels, but if someone else is, please post them.

As GST said earlier in the thread, unfortunately the refs aren't doing their job. I don't think we need a "fighter" on the team in the sense that is all he does, but 1) It's nice to have guys that can play AND fight and 2) I'd like to see the refs penalize this after the whistle BS b/c someday one of our guys is really going to get hurt and then we will all be asking for retribution when it could have been avoided if the refs would simply make these roughing calls.

He said anyone that missed my interview can suck my tuna.

Not over yet, I just called in.

Good interview Matt. Nice thoughts on Avery, comparing Pronger's hit on Homer.

Something beat the toilet and charmin...

I would have said where the hell have you been man, you have been sorely missed on the top line. Stop playing with your damn kids and get to work! Just kidding, but if it were me I would have said hey Homer I've modeled my style of play after yours, great job out there! I don't see how that is "bothersome" in fact I think he would appreciate it.

Something I find kind of ironic in this thread is that many of the arguments have been based on "what's good" for hockey. I would suggest that what's good for hockey and what gets more media coverage are two different things, at least in cases like this. Bad press is bad press. The Moore incident, Chris Simon, this thing with Avery they are all black eyes to a mostly respectable sport. People aren't going to stop watching because they are disgusted with Pronger's behavior. Do they stop watching baseball when they find out about corked bats and steroids? Do they stop watching football because of Michael Vick? Do they stop watching soccer in Europe because of trampled people? No, people will watch the sport they like because they like it, regardless of the actions of the players, coaches or referees. I think that hockey inherently has less fans because of the structure. For one thing, it is the hardest of the four major sports to play, and also to follow as a fan. I've played all four sports, but most people can't do that. Most people can't skate well enough to play. That right there causes some people not to care about it. Others think it is too boring because of the low scoring. And yet how does baseball have so much more of a following then? Well, baseball and hockey are polar opposites in many ways. Hockey also does not have enough exposure, which I think is the factor which impacts the fanbase the most. Some of this is the NHL's fault for sure. However, each one of us must take on responsibility to bring new fans to the fold. Our passion is what will lure them. I play hockey and I've had many people come to watch me play, sitting in the cold arena on an uncomfortable bench. I invite people to watch or go to games all the time. I would say I've turned at least 20 people on to watching hockey that did not before I met them. It is the lukewarm fans that buy the seats at the Joe who are to blame for our crappy fanbase. It's the companies who buy out seats but don't give the tickets to people who care. It's the expansion teams that start up in places where no one cares. Perhaps that's just the way it is and Sean Avery will have to be the only reason why the NHL gets mentioned by major publications. Or, maybe some of us can pick up the ball and spread the sport.

The comments to that article are amazing. How have humans managed to survive with these people having access to computers? I shake my head at that.

I can't agree with this logic that because ratings would have been high, he should have been suspended after the game. That would be totally irresponsible on the league's part, tho I personally would not have minded watching Phaneuf knock him out. Anyway, I agree with the suspension because it's one thing for things to be said on the ice, but do we really want to teach kids that it's ok to say things like this for the world to hear? Screw Avery, I really don't care if he ever comes back. He's taken an opportunity and squandered it b/c he would rather be an ass, and IMO he should be suspended just for that.